Osun: Decentralise staff audit, we can’t shut down our institutions — State-owned institutions tell Adeleke
By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
The Academic and non-academic staff of Osun State-owned tertiary Institutions have called on the State Government to decentralise the planned staff audit of the state workforce.
The unions however, threatened to embark on industrial action if the consulting firm failed to reason and put concerns they’ve raised into consideration.
The Institutions’ union in a letter signed by the Chairmen and secretaries, addressed to Governor, Ademola Adeleke a copy which was made available to our correspondent called for immediate decentralisation of the 2023 annual State-wide staff audit.
The Academy Staff Union of the three institutions, ASUP, COEASU, NASU, SSANIP of Osun State polytechnic, Iree, Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke and Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun said there was the need for urgent review of the State-wide staff audit.
Speaking, the Chairman of the Academy Staff Union, (ASUP) of the Osun State polytechnic, Iree, Comrade Dr. Fatai Afolabi, said the Governor Adeleke should direct the consulting firm on the need to decentralize the exercise.
Fatai who spoke on behalf of other union leaders further said that the centralization of the whole exercise at centre for Black Culture and International in Osogbo will add more burden on the workers in the state at this time when people are battling with the hardship occasioned by fuel subsidy removal.
Describing Adeleke as worker’s friendly Governor, Fatai urged the government to decentralize the annual State staff audit by directing the consultant firm to move around the various institutions in order not to add to the hardship of the workers.
Fatai noted that the said staff auditing is not first time in the history of the state, saying the exercise had been done by the previous administrations urging the consulting firm.
He said, “Osun Government should maintain our natural tradition of the exercise whereby members are attended to at their various institutions/campuses without affecting their daily schedule of duties.
“We demand the immediate decentralization of the 2023 annual State- wide staff audit.
“We are not against the proposed annual staff audit exercise but we vehemently oppose the modules operandi, which centralized the whole exercise at centre for Black Culture and International.
“Shutting down the State owned tertiary institutions for three or four days will affect the running of the institutions where ex-students coming from various parts of the country would not be able to process and collect their statement of results, certificates and transcripts among others.
“Taking from the above, the current students of the institution would be denied access to teaching and learning for these period of time which may lead to students unrest Risks involved in mass movement of workers from various, part of the State may be ameliorated if the exercise is decentralized considering the level of insecurity in the country.
“Considering the present situation of the country with sudden subsidy removal without any policy of palliative in the State, the cost involved in mobilizing all workers to a centralized place will be reduced if the exercise is decentralized.
“Most of the institution are preparing for the accreditation exercise which entails all staffs to be on ground as the exercise is paramount to the survival of the institutions.
“It is more comfortable for consulting firm to go around the institutions rather than endangering the life of the workers.
“The consultant can look at the ratio of the risk involved while you engage many people coming to a place and engage lesser people going to a place.
“The Government is enjoined to grant the above stated prayers to maintain industrial peace and harmony that we have been enjoying in the State,” he added.
